One way people often capture memories of vacations is by taking photos of themselves at a vacation spot, such as a resort, amusement park, etc. At numerous amusement parks and other vacation locations, it is common for families or individuals to buy photographs taken of themselves at various sites in the particular vacation location by a professional photographer at each location, both to have a better photograph taken of themselves as well as to eliminate the need and hassle of carrying a camera and taking photographs themselves or asking a stranger at a particular location to take the picture of the entire family or individuals.
Many amusement parks across the country automatically take pictures of each individual on a given ride as the ride passes a given point. These pictures are displayed for perusal by the individuals at the completion of the ride and may be purchased.
However, both photographic selling techniques rely on a xe2x80x9cshoot and hopexe2x80x9d technique where the photographs are taken or the photographer made available at a given location in hope that individuals will purchase photographs taken at the particular location. It is believed that improvements could be made to such photographic services to increase profits for the photographer.
The present invention is a photograph service method. The method includes the steps of offering a photograph package to a customer containing a selected number of photographs to be taken or images captured at a plurality of individual photographic sites; arranging for and accepting payment for the photographic package, identifying a prepaid customer at each photographic site, taking photographs or images at a plurality of photographic sites, and delivering the photographs or images to the customer.
Preferably, the issued customer I.D. is input and validated at each photographic site prior to taking a photograph.
In another aspect of the invention, the method includes the issuance of a digital media storage element to each customer. The storage element is used at each photographic site for taking a digital photograph. The digital media storage element is then removed from the digital camera at each photographic site and carried by the customer to the next site. At the completion of the predetermined time period or the number of preselected photographs in the package, the digital media storage element is returned for processing of the stored digital images which are then printed and delivered to the customer.
The photograph service method of the present invention affords many opportunities and advantages over previous xe2x80x9cshoot and hopexe2x80x9d techniques employed by photographers in amusement parks, national parks, etc. By use of the present method, more photographs are sold to the customer by having the customer select and pay for a photographic package in advance. This also not only increases the number of photographs which are taken and paid for, but frees the customer from having to make decisions as to whether they should or should not have a photograph taken at a particular site during their travels. Preselection of the photographs simplifies the photograph process, both for the photographer and the customer.
The present method is also advantageously used with digital media storage elements which are usable in digital cameras to take and store digital images. The storage element can be issued to each customer and then carried by each customer from photographic site to photographic site. In this manner, the digital media storage element, when returned to the main photograph center at the completion of the package, need only be processed. The digital media storage element also enables the customer to view the taken photograph at each photographic site and/or at the completion of the photograph package to determine whether or not they approve any given photograph. When reviewed at each photograph site, if the customer does not like the photograph which was taken, a new photograph can be easily and quickly retaken.